The trip from upper Brooklyn down to Old Coney took usually more than an hour by even the fastest carriage, but that wasn’t accounting for the strange lunacy of NYC cab drivers, who considered speed limits a suggestion rather than a rule, and considered any space wide enough to fit them just another part of the road. The carriage seemed to fly down past the morning Brooklyn traffic as the thunder of hoofbeats filled the cabin. William quickly gave up any hope of staying in his seat at all and spent the ride clinging to the hand bar set above the door. Paicus meanwhile spread himself out on his seat, his arms braced against either wall, trying to keep from being thrown about.

  He gave William a shaky smile. “I know they get a bad rep, but I always travel by Jay Bird. Fastest ride in the city! They always get me there in one piece.” The carriage gave another great jolt and his teeth clicked painfully together. “So far at least.”

  William gave him a quick nod, or maybe it was that the carriage just lurched at the right time, and his eyes seemed to stray to the carriage window. “Are we even still on the road, sir?”

  Paicus ducked his head. “I’m too afraid to look.” He mumbled a quick prayer and then knocked on the back wall of the carriage. “Appoline! Please do my heart a favor! I’m not as young as I used to be!”

  There was a hearty laugh from outside and then a full-throated woman’s voice called out. “Haha! You’ll live, Doc! No one’s died in my carriage yet!”

  “And what about under it?”

  The sound of her laughing filled the car. “What’s that, can’t hear you!” Despite her words, gradually the sound of hoofbeats faded and the carriage began to slow to a more tolerable, breakneck pace. Paicus relaxed inside the cabin and let his head fall back. William even managed to lower himself back onto his seat.

  “What did I tell you,” Paicus asked, giving him a wan smile. He pulled a handkerchief the size of a small towel out of his pocket and began to mop his forehead. “Safest ride in the city.”

  The carriage rounded a curve, feeling for once like all four wheels had managed to stay on the road this time. “We’re coming in sight to Old Coney now,” Appoline called out again. “Just a bit longer to go!”

  William rushed to the window, his eyes open wide. “Where is it?” he asked, pressing himself against the glass. Paicus smiled at him, until the lad opened up the carriage door and leaned out into traffic.

  He lunged forwards, grabbing onto William’s belt. “Be careful!” The Doctor held his breath as cobblestones rushed heedlessly by underneath them, hearing only the whiz and snap of other carriages flying past. William, however could only gasp in wonder

  “Oh, look at that! It’s incredible!”

  Still holding onto him, Paicus glanced out caught an eyeful of Gravesend Bay, the stinking, marshy wetlands that lay at the mouth of the Hudson. “Oh yes,” he said sarcastically, “it’s a wonder what poor sanitation, stagnant water, and all that factory run-off can create when it works together. Mind you, Gravesend itself isn’t much healthier.” In spite of himself, he shivered as he stared at the cramped cluster of shacks and leaning tenement buildings that crowded the shoreline. Even from a distance, there was a squalid, almost hopeless look to the buildings, which he knew from sad experience did not much improve upon closer inspection.

  He tugged at William’s belt, trying to get his attention. “Whatever you do, don’t go to that part of Old Coney after dark,” he warned. “And never without me. And never with me, if we can help it.” When he got no response from William, he tugged again. “Are you even listening to me?

  William suddenly looked down at him, blinking in confusion. “I’m sorry, sir. Did you say something?”

  Paicus sighed and shook his head. William turned back, still looking in wonder. “It’s just so incredible,” he breathed out.

  “There’s more to Old Coney than just Maierson’s, you know,” Paicus said, but he knew it was hopeless, for rising up before them was the great Pyramid of the Maierson factory.

  It was an unusual sight; as if someone had plucked a temple or pharaoh's tomb from the ancient past and placed it in the middle of a modern city. Constructed of huge black stones, the Pyramid stood more than thirty stories tall and was larger than a city block, dwarfing any other building around it. Indeed, it seemed to loom over the rest of Old Coney, covering vast swaths of it in its shadow, as great clouds of vapor and smoke drifted up out of the blunk peak, the central chimney for the Factory. Sparks of light, like fireworks, seemed to flicker and burst from the chimney, turning the smoke red, blue, green, and every color of the rainbow, as ash drifted down towards the city far below.

  “I’ve never been so close before,” William said faintly, staring.

  “Never? Well, we’ll soon rectify that,” Paicus told him. “Maierson’s is just the start of Old Coney after all. After the Auction, we’ll head to the clinic to get you settled, then have lunch in Grub’s, or maybe the Under Garden! They make a delicate mushroom saute-”

  “I’d hold your horses on those plans, Doc!” Appoline said loudly. They both turned and looked to the front of the cab.

  Jaybird cabs had no driver’s seat, nor did they need one. Instead, two great poles extended from the front of the carriage to either side of Appoline. As the huge, wooden carriage rattled and jumped, she guided it deftly, maneuvering the cab with her well-muscled arms, while below, her hoofbeats rolled like thunder. The carriage seemed to fly as she raced through traffic, faster than others pulled even by a team of horses, such was the power of a Centaur.

  She tossed a chestnut colored braid over her shoulder and the leather harness connecting her to the rest of the cab jingled. Her dark green blouse, the only article of clothing she wore, bunched tightly against her chest as she pulled. “This isn’t the day to take some fresh Adam into Coney,” she warned him. “You’re liable to end up losing him, even if he’s got you watchin’ over him.”

  William opened his mouth in surprise, but Paicus waved his hand quickly. “Surely it’s not that bad. I know the Auction has people riled up, but-”

  “The Auction is just the start. Witch Sisters just announced they’re closing; they got bought out! And Gurgle and Plum is supposed to be next!”

  “Witch Sisters!” Paicus said, stunned.

  “No, Witch Sisters.”

  Paicus frowned and then shook his head. “Argh, that’s not what I meant!” He sat back inside the cab, still in shock. “Witch Sisters, I can’t believe it. They’ve been in business for more than fifty years! Who bought them out?”

  “Some company or other, I’ve never heard of it,” she yelled back to them, even as she cut the cab neatly through a nearby gap in traffic. There was a moment’s scream of horses, the rattle of wheels, and a curse from the other drivers, but by then she’d already carried them far down the street.

  Paicus leaned closer to the window, his face concerned. “Was it another Elder company at least?”

  She spit. “It was someone with money, what do you think?” She pulled the cab across three lanes and then around a fruit cart, shaking her head. “All those workers out in the street now, and today of all days.”

  “What’s going on today?” William asked. Paicus frowned and then looked seriously at the young man.

  “Today is the day that the Maierson’s are holding their auction,” he said simply. “They’re putting up some of the family’s things for sale-”

  The cab gave a lurch. “It’s a free-for-all!” Appoline laughed. “Elder artwork and artifacts galore, all for the taking. Every collector and museum worth its paint is practically chomping at the bit to pick at the old Hag’s bones.”

  “That’s enough!” Paicus said suddenly. William’s eyes flashed to the Doctor, and his face recovered slowly.

  For a moment, there was nothing from outside but the sound of hoofbeats, then Appoline’s gruff voice came slowly. “Sorry, Doc,” she apologized.

  “That’s alright,” he said evenly, shaking his head. He looked at William again. “People are upset,” he explained. “Madelyn Maierson’s death was a blow to Old Coney, to the entire world,” he admitted. “Her passing has left a… void that Old Coney has yet to fill.”

  “Madelyn Maierson,” William said quietly. He knew only a little about her, but what he did know seemed more fiction than fact. “Did you know her, sir?” he asked

  Appoline laughed from outside as Paicus’ eye grew wide. “‘Know her’? Why she was my granddaughter,” he laughed. “Well, not literally– grand-goddaughter, I suppose, would be more accurate. Her grandfather, Morgan, was a- a very dear friend.” He shook his head and pulled his brass watch from his pocket, glancing at it once more. “I’ve been friends with the family since then. Still close friends.”

  William leaned closer, his face rapt. “Is it true then, sir? The stories about her?”

  “Oh, what stories?”

  “That she tricked an Ogre into marrying her and then killed him by pushing him over a waterfall? That she could catch bullets out of mid-air with her knitting needles? Or that she called down a hundred dragons to burn Atlanta right to the-”

  Paicus waved his hand. “Stories! All of them. Madelyn was a very powerful witch, the most powerful maybe, but she wasn’t some mythical being.” He shook his head and pulled his bag up onto his lap. “She was a woman, she was my granddaughter, and now she’s gone,” he said simply. “And now we’re all trying to adjust to that.”

  He folded his hands over his bag, frowning as he searched for the words. “Mathew, Madelyn’s grandson that is, is holding an auction today for some of the family’s items, which is his privilege and right,” he said loudly, glancing up at the window. They both heard her steady hoofbeats outside, but Appoline didn’t respond. Paicus looked back down. “Matthew is the new head of the family and company,” he admitted. “He must make the decisions that he feels are appropriate. Even if they do fly in the face of the rest of Old Coney.”

  William nodded slowly, glancing at the window again. “I see. And how do you feel about the Auction, sir?”

  Paicus blinked. “I wasn’t asked,” he said shortly. “I’m not part of the family after all, why should my opinion matter?”

  The young man nodded immediately. “Whatever you say, sir.”

  “We’re here today as impartial observers.”

  “Of course, sir.”

  Paicus nodded, looking out the window. “I wish Matthew all the best with it,” he said with all apparent sincerity. William gave him a careful nod.

  They heard a sudden cursing from outside and the carriage abruptly slowed, coming to a halt. Paicus peered out the window curiously. “We’re not even out of Brooklyn yet,” he wondered. “What’s going on?”

  William opened the door and leaned out, with Paicus sticking his head out the window on the other side of the cab. Appoline was stamping her hooves, sending sparks up as she struck the cobblestones. The carriage jolted as she dropped the wooden struts in disgust, waving a hand ahead. “Look at this!”

  “Oh my,” Paicus breathed out. The street ahead into Old Coney was absolutely jammed with traffic. Fine horses pulling intricate carriages bumped and pushed against flea-beaten nags pulling gypsy cabs. Men in starched uniforms snapped their whips while drivers in shabby coats brandished clubs, pipes, and even a few jagged knives. Horses screamed, snapping their teeth together as traces got tangled together. Most of the passengers were staring out white-faced from the cab windows, but a few were leaning out, screaming and yelling with the rest, urging their drivers forward, forward. It was bedlam, complete chaos.

  “Hell of a turnout,” Appoline said bitterly. She looked ahead towards the Pyramid in the distance. “At this rate, we might make it by mid-afternoon. Maybe we can bid on whatever's left. Might be a doorstop or something.”

  “Isn’t there any other way?” William asked. She shook her head.

  “Ocean Boulevard is the only bridge over the creek. The only one big enough to support a carriage, anyway,” she said, pointing up ahead. William squinted, seeing it in the distance. It was maybe a little larger than the word ‘creek’ might have suggested, about a hundred feet wide, but it looked deep enough and too marshy to ford. The bridge that spanned it looked old and out of repair, with bricks and loose stones falling into the water, but it seemed to be supporting the mass of carriages and horses crowded on top of it.

  “I’ve never seen it this bad before,” Paicus said shakily. “Even Madelyn’s funeral didn’t draw this many people.”

  “Probably ‘cause there wasn’t anything they could buy,” Appoline muttered.

  “I suppose we’re just going to have to wait,” William said. He climbed back into the cab, closing the door. Paicus however, remained looking towards the bridge, his brow furrowing. William turned to him. “Sir?”

  Abruptly, Paicus opened the door and sprang out of the carriage. William swung out the door after him. The Doctor marched up to Appoline, who was looking with disgust at the traffic jam. “We need to get through there,” he said to her quickly, lowering his voice.

  She rolled her eyes. “Do you see a pair of wings on my ass, Doc?”

  “I’m serious, Appoline.”

  “So am I, look at that mess!” She waved her hand. “A greased up mouse couldn’t get through that wreck. What do you expect me to do?”

  He stepped closer to her, and it was odd for William to see the huge Doctor have to lean up to speak to anyone. “Appoline, I’ve been a friend and good customer for years now, right?”

  “Yeah,” she said slowly, looking suspiciously at him.

  “Always tipped big, knocked the mud off my boots before getting in your cab…”

  “What are you getting at?”

  He leaned in closer. “And when your younger sister was suffering from Strangles, did I ask for any payment?”

  Her eyes closed and she groaned. “Ugh, you bastard…” She stamped her hooves, splitting a cobblestone in two without effort. “I knew you were going to bring that up someday… I knew it!”

  “I wouldn’t have asked, but I really need to get to that Auction before it starts.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” she muttered angrily. She tugged on the leather traces around her vest, tightening the straps. “Get back inside,” she told him, tossing her head roughly. “Whatever happens, it’s not going to be comfortable.”

  “Thank you!” Paicus called, running for the cab. “You’re a saint! A veritable saint!”

  She spat on her hands, rubbing them together. “I’m an idiot is what I am.” She grabbed the two struts, squinting ahead. “I hope the rest of the Harras doesn’t hear about this,” she muttered, then took a deep breath and pursed her lips.

  The sound that came out of her lips then was somewhere between a whistle and whinny. Paicus and William clapped their hands to their ears as the noise raced down the street, rattling streetlights and shaking windows. Drivers dropped their whips and reins, shouting in alarm. The effect on their horses however, was more considerable.

  Almost as one, every horse on the street, from the finest of studs, with oiled coats and glossy hair, to the most dirty, scuffed nag, every one laid back their ears, eyes wide, and began to pull to the right. They screamed and stamped, tugging traces and carriages with them as they surged to one side. Drivers shouted and jumped for safety as carriages were swamped, wheels and axles breaking as they were grinded together. Paicus and William could only stare at the tremendous wreck.

  “Oh no! No!” Paicus shouted. He beat on the window. “I didn’t want this!”

  “Too late now!” Appoline shouted, and they were thrown back in their seats as she sprung forwards.

  In front of them, all the pushing and shoving, had opened up a clear lane of traffic on the left side of the road. It was narrow, very narrow, and uneven, but it stretched down the road all the way past the bridge. Paicus and William could only cling to their seats as Appoline raced towards it.

  “Hold on!”

  They hit the lane like a man shoving his way through the crowd, striking elbows, arms, and legs, anything blocking his way forwards. The carriage rattled and lurched, the glass in the windows shattering as they barreled through. The door handle tore off, and then the rest of the door followed it. William covered his head with his arms as they heard the crack of wood and the shouts of people outside, almost lost in the rushing wind. Paicus was bracing himself against the walls, his eye screwed tightly shut.

  “We’re at the bridge, nearly there!” she yelled back to them.

  Abruptly the carriage lurched forwards and Appoline cried out. Something had struck them, but this time from behind! The cab shuddered forwards again and William clawed his way to the back window, staring out.

  A strange, sleek automobile was in the open lane, racing after them. William was no stranger to the sight of a car, they’d been around for decades already after all, but they were still essentially oddities, bare-frame jalopies that rattled and sputtered down the wide streets of Manhattan, driven more for pleasure than speed. He’d never seen anything like this one however. The black metal body seemed to hug the road, the white-walled tires almost a blur. Gleaming headlights almost blinded them, looking like the eyes of a monster as the engine roared. William could just dimly see the driver, a dark, murky shape behind the mud-spattered windshield, and strangely, a flash of white, fluttering cloth on the hood, and then he was thrown forwards as the car rammed into them again.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Appoline screamed, whether in rage or pain, there was no telling, but even louder still seemed the crack of wood from the carriage. “HOLD ON!” she yelled and then incredibly, they picked up speed, rocketing forwards. Her hoofbeats were like rolling thunder as the world raced by outside the open door. Oddly, it was a much smoother ride, indeed the carriage seemed to float through the air, with the only painful lurches coming when the wheels occasionally happened to touch the ground. Still, they could hear the roar of the engine behind them as the car kept pace.

  Then the open, flashing blur outside the door changed, going from light to dark. Smooth, black stone was racing beside them, filling the world. “The Pyramid!” William yelled.

  There was the sound of splintering wood as Appoline called to them, “Here’s the square!”

  And then the carriage rolled.

  William and Paicus were flung out of their seats, thrown to the side of the cab as it dipped suddenly. The walls suddenly became the floor and ceiling and they were thrown about like rattling pins. The Doctor fell on top of William, squeezing the breath out of him, but sparing him from the shattered glass and wood that rained down. Outside, they could hear Appoline screaming, a shockingly animal sound, over the grinding tear of wood. The carriage rocked a final time and then went still.

  For a moment, they were both too stunned to move. They lay in splinters and shattered glass, William’s hands wrapped around his head, and the Doctor leaning over him. Outside, they could hear the sound of Appoline cursing up a storm, a mix of Greek, English, and what must have been her own native tongue, her teeth biting the air. Sunlight shone through from the open door, now over their heads. Faintly, they could also hear a roaring sound too in the back, almost like the sound of the ocean. They weren’t that near the coast, were they, William wondered, his thoughts dull and clouded.

  Then a brassy voice called out to them. “Whoa there! Get her clear boys! Get her clear! Leave the carriage to me!” The voice was loud, sounding tinny and amplified, as if speaking through a megaphone. Then the carriage jolted again. “Hold on in there!”

  William and Paicus could only brace themselves as abruptly, the carriage started to move once more. They felt themselves rising up, the entire cab lifting off the ground and then slowly starting to roll. Glass and wood rained down once more as the carriage slowly righted itself. With a thud, it settled back down on the street, with Paicus and William lying prone on the floor.

  “Everyone all right in there?”

  Paicus groaned and pushed himself to his knees, glass falling off his jacket. He coughed and looked around. “William?

  William gave the Doctor a smile. “You were right, sir.”

  “Oh?”

  “We arrived in one piece.”

  The Doctor blinked and then chuckled. “Haha, yes.” He burst out laughing. “Fastest ride in the city indeed.”

  There was a stomping sound from outside, like metal striking stone. “Laughter inside, I suppose that’s better than screaming.” The light outside the door dimmed and a metal face filled the frame.

  For a moment, William thought it was some sort of mask hammered out of bronze or iron, an artist’s rough impression of a working man. He had round full cheeks, a blocky beard, and blue-glass goggles for eyes. On top of his head perched a dented and slightly rusting railman’s cap. There was a burst of static from out of a small metal grill where his mouth should’ve been, and then the voice they’d heard from outside boomed inside the cab. “Is that you, Doctor Paicus?”

  Paicus waved his hand, wincing slightly. “Yes, ow! Good morning, Albert.”

  The blue-glass goggles flickered open and shut like windows and the voice boomed again, making both of them wince. “And good morning to you too! What were you thinking driving up like that? The both of you almost crashed right into the front gate! I’ve never seen such a wreck!”

  The doctor coughed and shook his head. “It wasn’t by choice, believe me!” He seemed to gather himself and looked up at the metal face. “Is anyone hurt? How is Appolonia?”

  Albert’s face pulled back through the doorway suddenly. “Well, see for yourself! Just a moment–” There was a sudden wrenching sound and half the carriage roof suddenly tore free, lifting several feet off the frame. Paicus and William found themselves blinking in the morning sunlight.

  “Come along now. Let’s get you out of that wreck.” He extended a rattling metal hand, waiting, as he held the roof lightly in the other. William hesitated to step out however. “Come along, come along! No need for fright!”

  William swallowed, not knowing where to start. “I’m sorry, sir,” he said carefully, “but… What are you?”

  The ten-foot tall metal man looked at him in surprise. With a rattling jerk, his eyebrows climbed upwards, and he let out a double-burst of steam. “What am I? Why, it’s it obvious?” he laughed. “I’m a Dwarf!”

  “A dw-dwarf?!”

  “Albert is a Deep Dwarf,” Paicus clarified. “He’s one of the living, metal men from Oroborus - probably the only one residing permanently on the surface, as far as I know.” He winced as a broken piece of the carriage roof fell on him. “And thank God for that! It’s hard enough dealing with just him, can’t imagine what it would be like with more stomping around.”

  Albert let out another burst of steam, and William realized it seemed to be his way of laughing. “One dwarf is all you need!” the metal man boasted. “I’m the perfect mechanism of engineering knowledge and skill; teacher, tool, and craftsman all rolled up into one.” Gears whirled loudly in his body as he bowed, one arm still supporting the carriage roof.

  He reached out his hand again. Summoning up his courage, William took his hand and started to step down out of the ruined carriage.

  At that moment, one of the wheels snapped and the edge of the carriage sagged downwards. William grabbed hold of one of the metal fingers reflexively, trying to keep upright and he felt something snap as he stumbled to the ground.

  “Whoa! Careful now,” the metal man laughed, keeping him from falling. He let William stagger forwards a few feet, then with a rattle and sproing, he swiveled and turned, helping the struggling Paicus down. “There you go, Doctor. Safe and sound.”

  Paicus touched his head, wincing. “Yes, thank you…” Blue-clad Goblin workers rushed past him, crawling all over the wreck. Short, barrel-chested, and surprisingly strong, they began to repair the carriage on the spot, wrenching broken pieces apart with a twist of their long arms and flinging them away as more arrived with fresh wood and tools. Another group was already hard at work, trying to cut Apollonia free from the wreckage. She lay nearby, her leather traces and harness hopelessly snarled together. She was battered and bruised, bloodied from the wreck, but still full of ife.

  “Hey, you big, metal bastard!” she yelled, struggling to rise. “Stop tearing up my cab!” She almost managed to push herself to her feet before she collapsed, her face white, as one of her legs gave way. It was twisted and bent beneath her, and she winced, gritting her teeth.

  Albert let out a burst of steam from the top of his head. “Quickly boys! Take her to the yard!” he called. On cue, the workers dropped their tools and surrounded Appolonia, who’s eyes widened in fear.

  “Oh no! Wait! What’s going on!?” Without a word of warning, they grabbed her, lifting her up as a pair of Trolls, huge and lumbering, hurried over, carrying an oversized stretcher between them.

  Paicus meanwhile had stumbled forwards, touching his head gingerly as he looked for William. He found the boy a few yards away, staring out at the other side of the square.

  “There you are,” he said. “Sorry about that. Usually the Maierson’s provide a much friendlier welcome to their first time guests. Well, let’s check in on Apollonia and then–” He froze as he saw what William was staring at and his eye widened.

  Their carriage had come to rest in a large open square just past the bridge. On one side of them lay the vast greatness of the Maierson Mansion, truly a remarkable house, one of a kind even in New York City. It was a multi-story brownstone, built generations ago by Mathias Maierson, with elegant cupulas, a second floor greenhouse covered in creeping, strange plants and fines, a rooftop observatory with telescopes poised– but that wasn’t what he was looking at. No, his attention was focused on the more recently constructed barricade that had been thrown up on the other side of the square.

  “Here they come!” a worker with wild eyes yelled desperately. He was crouching behind an overturned wagon and clutching a huge iron wrench in his hands. At his signal, dozens of other Maiserson workers popped up, from small Halflings and Gnomes wielding screwdrivers to Trolls and Snake-men as large and rugged as Crocodiles, clutching shovels in both hands. “Come’on! Go lads! Go!” They came screaming over the top, climbing up piles of barrels and crates, stacked pallets and other wagons in a roaring blue wave.

  Pushing forwards on the other side of the barricade was a huge mob of Elders. It was impossible to tell how many species were there, maybe all of Old Coney had turned out. Paicus saw Trolls, Elves, Goblins, Halflings, and more. A Dryad, long limbed and graceful, grappled with a worker in blue, roots and vines springing from the cobblestones to wrap him up. A pair of Centaurs were charging forwards, fists and hooves flying. An Avian grabbed hold of a worker in his talons and began to fly up, his wings straining. It was sheer pandemonium! And behind the mob, more Elders were flooding into the square. They filled the side streets and alleys, anywhere there was an opening, people were pushing in. They carried banners and flags, sung hymns and songs, shouted slogans at the top of their lungs till no one could hear what anyone was saying. And still more came.

  Albert saw the tide starting to turn and gave a quick burst of steam. “Sorry, excuse me for a minute!” he apologized. He gave a sudden whistle like a siren’s blast and a new set of workers moved forwards to reinforce the line. These ones were larger, stronger than the rest, big, hulking workers from the Factory Forge, swinging heavy hammers with precision. They charged forwards, hitting the crowd just as they were about to breach the barricades. One moment, the protesters were climbing up and over, shouting and waving more on, the next they were being thrown back, sometimes literally. The Forge Workers were relentless, wading into the crowd as they swung with abandon. The mob wavered for a moment, then broke, falling back to safety.

  A hush descended onto the square as even the crowd’s songs and shouts faltered. Groaning bodies littered the cobblestones. A few workers ran out, grabbing their injured comrades and dragging them back to the barricade, as the crowd retrieved their injured as well. Paicus turned away in disgust.

  Albert was nearby, nodding with satisfaction. Somehow the clicking and rumbling from his midsection seemed in a cheerful tone.

  “You have to stop this!” Paicus pleaded with him.

  The huge metal man folded his arms, the blue of his eyes shifting abruptly to orange with a click. “And let them win?” he asked angrily. “This is our day! Our chance to save the Factory! I’m not going to let a few malcontents–”

  “Albert, it’s half of Old Coney!”

  “They’re outside agitators!” he said stubbornly. “Anyone who’s truly a part of Old Coney is right here, with us!” He turned and waved towards the Mansion, and his eyes clicked back from orange to blue. “Look at that line of guests! All these people come to see us! Doesn’t that make you feel proud!”

  There was indeed a long line of carriages, stretching well past out of sight. One by one, the carriages pulled up at the gates to deposit their guests, who stared in awe at the mansion (but more likely at the great Pyramid behind it). Few even bothered to notice the brawl occurring on the other side of the square. More Maierson workers had been pressed into service as valets, and there was some confusion with the guests as the Goblins and Halflings rushed towards the carriages to help them disembark, but all in all, the workers got them down and up the stairs into the house with a minimum of shrieks and bruises.

  The Doctor didn’t seem very impressed by all this though. He grabbed Albert by the arm, wrenching the metal man back. “Where’s Matthew?” he demanded. “Has he seen this? Does he know?”

  Albert rose up to his full height, towering over even the Doctor. His engine roared, gears whirled like mad inside him, and his eyes clicked straight from blue to an angry red. His hat abruptly lifted like a valve off the top of his head and steam poured out, rising up like out of a smoke-stack. “Of course, Matthew knows!” he boomed.

  “Where is he then?”

  “Inside where she should be!” He slammed his hat back down on top of his head and his eyes clicked back to orange. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, someone has to maintain order out here!” he said, little wisps of steam still leaking from his head. He whistled to the barricades. “Move the line forwards!” he ordered.

  With a shout, the workers leapt up. A group of Goblins stepped towards the barricades, stripped to the waist. Strange tattoos covered their arms and chests in swirling patterns, and as they braced themselves against the wagons, those tattoos began to glow.

  “Runes!” William cried out in amazement. He watched, wide-eyed as the Goblin’s muscles began to swell and grow. Slowly, inch by inch, they began to push the barricades forwards. The crowd shifted back in response, slowly but surely being pushed out of the square. A few people shouted, trying to urge the protesters forwards, but with the Forge Workers in front of the moving barricades, hefting their tools, no one seemed eager to challenge them. The crowd continued to inch back as the Goblin’s pushed the barricades further.

  Paicus ground his teeth. “Yes, strengthening runes. If they’re not careful, they’ll be on their back for the rest of the day. Or worse, if they overexert themselves!” He took out a handkerchief the size of a small blanket and wiped his forehead. “Oh, I shouldn’t have brought you here today, William. I’m sorry!” Just as suddenly, he was shouting, shaking his fist at the back of the metal man.

  “Albert! Oh, that damn, unfeeling brute! If I wasn’t a doctor, I’d…!”

  William extended his hand, palm upwards. In it, he held a small, metal digit, sparking slightly at the end. “Speaking of Albert, sir. I think I broke him.”

  Paicus flinched back from the sight. “Oh! Well! Um… Just keep it for now,” he advised, motioning for him to put it away. “We’re doctors, not mechanics, we’ll give it to him later.”

  He took William’s arm and started to pull him towards the mansion. “I need to see Matthew! This whole Auction business has gone too far already. He has to see reason!”

  As they hurried across the square, William saw the wreck of the car that had chased their carriage in. It had smashed into a monument in the center of the square, a tall stone obelisk inscribed with runic writing. It looked like it had stood for years, but now it was leaning and badly cracked. The car was in a similar state, smoke spilling out the smashed hood. A pair of white flags hung limply off the grill as the wheels hissed out air loudly.

  Workers were slowly approaching the wreck, unsure of what to make of it, when suddenly the front door fell open. A burly, broad-shouldered man, clad all in black driving leathers, stepped out. He was battered and bleeding, the glass of his goggles cracked, but he stood there calmly for a moment and then nodded crisply to the circling Elders. He turned cleanly and marched to the back of the car, laying hold of the door handle. After struggling for a moment, he wrenched the back door open and saluted.

  A thin young man fell out onto the street, screaming. He thrashed in the mud for a moment, ruining his fine suit in the process. The Driver waited, still holding his salute, making no move to help him. After a moment, the young man seemed to realize that he wasn’t in any danger and froze, staring about wildly.

  One of the workers, a Goblin, drew nearer to the young man. He reached out a hand to help him, but the young man screamed in terror, batting it away. He scrambled for the front gates, running on all fours, terrified. He dashed for the house, knocking over workers, guests, anyone in his way as he ran up the stairs, slamming the doors behind him.

  Back at the car, the other workers were starting to gather, hefting their tools and scratching their heads curiously as they examined the damage. One of the small flags broke off, fluttering to the ground. The Goblin who moved to help before, looked at it curiously and bent to pick it up, when he suddenly drew back his hands in an instant, his breath hissing out in fright. He backed up quickly from it, looking fearfully at the car and driver, who remained stoically by the door, his arms folded behind his back.

  William could barely see the logo on the flag, a pair of crossed hammers, all in black. It seemed vaguely familiar to him, but he couldn’t think of why.

  “Doctor! I don’t quite understand,” he started to say as they hurried towards the line of carriages.

  “What is it?” Paicus asked.

  “The Auction. Why is everyone so upset?”

  Paicus’ answering frown was so severe that William couldn’t help but step back. “I’m sorry, sir, I just don’t understand…”

  Instead of being furious however, the Doctor only sighed, looking pained. “Well, it’s not so easy to explain,” he said slowly.

  “They’re his things, aren’t they? His family’s, in any case?”

  “Yes,” he said, hesitating. “And no. It’s difficult to explain…”

  A loud voice cut through the noise of the carriages and guests. “Doctor Paicus! Doctor Paicus, is that you!”

  Paicus rolled his eye and gestured quickly to William. “Ah, not now! Quickly, let’s get inside. I’m really not in the mood for any more interruptions today.” He started to push him forwards, towards a gap in the carriages.

  “Doctor Paicus!”

  They darted in front of a waiting horse, causing it to snort and nearly buck, and then Paicus was shoving William up the front steps, workers and guests jumping out of their way. They were nearly at the door when there was a sudden beat of wings and a woman landed in front of them. Or at least, she least looked like a woman. Her body was covered in soft white feathers, except for a golden ring that circled her face, and she wore a heavily stained nurse’s smock. William skidded to a stop, stunned at the sight of her, but she shoved him aside without a word and stared angrily down at the Doctor, who flashed her a guilty look.

  “Why Pol! Good Morning! I didn’t know you were there,” he lied quickly. “What brings you out here today?”

  Pol was perhaps the angriest person that William had ever seen. Tufts of white feathers arched sharply above her round black eyes, making them look even huger, if it was possible. Her wings trembled behind her with agitation, each feather standing out sharply. “I’m doing your job, that’s what I’m doing!” she snapped. The hook of her nose gleamed sharply as her head tilted this way and that, as if she were sizing the Doctor up for a meal. “I sent you three wires, didn’t you get any of them?”

  He winced. “No, sorry, I was working a double-shift at the Hospital–”

  She shrieked for a moment, a sound William felt in his bones. “You told me you weren’t going to do that anymore,” she snapped.

  “Well the clinic needed the money, so…”

  She clicked her teeth together and grabbed hold of the Doctor’s hand, yanking him back down the stairs. “Well at least you're here now anyways. C’mon! There’s more work than we know what to do with!” Unsure of what else to do, William followed after them.

  “Yes, well, actually–” the Doctor stammered, looking back at the house.

  “We don’t have much room to work with, unfortunately,” she said over him, pulling Paicus past the line of carriages and towards the side of the house. “I tried to get them to let me set up inside, but did that snake even consider it? No! Too disruptive to the guests, I imagine.” She shrieked again, the feathers on her head ruffling.

  She led them to a small garden, off the side of the house, where William was surprised to see that a rough clinic had been set up. Men, women, and children lay on cots or the grass, moaning as a few (very few) nurses tended to them as best they could. He noted in passing that the clinic was open to all; Maierson workers sometimes lay side by side with protesters, all arguments apparently forgotten for the moment. He also couldn’t help but notice that their supplies were incredibly limited; torn up rags, bits of broken up signs reused as splints… He’d seen better stocked broom closets in the hospital.

  Pol thrust a spare smock at Paicus and then started to roll up her sleeves. “I’ve sent Bogrie back to the clinic for more… well, more everything! I’ve got no idea when he’ll be back though, or even if he’ll be back with that riot going on out there.” Her head seemed to be in constant motion as she spoke, shaking and moving this way and that, turning to watch a nurse apply a tourniquet to a leg, then back to Paicus, all without pausing.

  “I need to get you started immediately, Doctor” she told him. “Most of them just have bruises or minor cuts, but are few are much more serious-”

  “Yes, yes,” he said, throwing up his hands. “And I’ll be out here as soon as I can, but I have to speak to Matthew first-”

  “Matthew!” she snapped, her teeth clicking together. “What does that fool of a Maierson matter! He can’t stop what’s going on today!”

  The Doctor was shaking his head though. “No, I must try. Matthew’s a good boy, he’ll see reason.” He started to edge back towards the front, but Pol grabbed his arm.

  “Doctor! I can’t handle this place alone! I need your help!”

  Paicus’ eye flashed to William and he suddenly had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

  “William can help you!” Paicus said brightly, looking over Pol’s head. “Yes, he’s an excellent young doctor, trained him a bit myself.”

  “Uh, yes, I-” William stammered, when Pol suddenly turned to look back at him. That is to say, her head turned, swiveling almost completely over her shoulders to stare at him. Fine, white feathers, as delicate as a puff of air, ran up from the neckline of her smock to her huge, black, round eyes. William found himself lost for a moment, staring into those eyes, and he struggled to speak.

  “Uh, uh, good-good morning.” The most lovely golden circle of feathers ringed her face, almost like a halo. She was a dove, he thought, an angel made flesh.

  Pol looked at him with open disgust. “Him? Have you completely lost your mind? I need help, not some useless gawker!”

  William’s mouth snapped closed with a start and he flushed. “I am a doctor,” he snapped, perhaps a little more forcefully than he’d intended. She turned towards him, her feather ruffling, and he noticed for the first time how sharp the nails at the ends of her fingers were.

  “Oh, you’re a doctor!” she told him, her voice climbing effortlessly. “So of course you know all about Elder medicine do you? How a Goblin differs from a Human, or an Avian, or even an Elf?”

  “Well, no,” he was forced to admit, “but-”

  “-But he’s eager to learn,” Paicus said, stepping in between them. “He’s already agreed to work with us at the clinic for the next few weeks and I’m sure there’s much you’ll be able to teach each other.” Nodding quickly, he pushed the two of them together and started to edge back towards the front gates

  “Doctor!” they both yelled.

  “I’ll be out as soon as I can,” he promised. “Just start without me. All medicine is basically the same anyways, you’ll do fine!”

  “No, it’s not!” they said in unison.

  “No, it’s not,” he agreed. “But try anyways.” He had one foot out the garden already. “I’ll be back as soon as I can! Pol: listen to William! He’s a wonderful young doctor and knows what he’s doing! Will: listen to Pol! And try not to kill anyone!”

  He left them there, staring dumbfounded, as he ran for the main gates. “Oh, Matthew, where are you?” he cried aloud.